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12 August 2010

Road Trip To Lexington

This past Tuesday, I embarked upon a short trip to Lexington, Virginia, about 30 minutes south of my home. I needed to drop by Lee Chapel to sign a few books, then attend our SCV camp's monthly meeting. This month, we met at the public pavilion and park located at Jordan's Point in Lexington. JP was, at one time, the industrial center of old Lexington. Some warehouses and other businesses, linked to other areas of the state by the old canal system, used to located in this area. The coming of the railroad saw its importance diminish in the ensuing years. Union General David Hunter shelled Lexington and VMI from a high vantage point across the Maury River (formerly the North River) from Jordan's Point. He also burned the covered bridge that used to cross here. The original abutments can still be seen (see below). VMI cadets, upon hearing of Hunter's approach, attempted to load artillery and ammunition into barges and float them down the river to Lynchburg. They weren't quite quick enough and the boats, along with their contents, were sunk. One of our camp members related a story told to him by a friend how that, in the '60's, he and some friends were night fishing on the Maury, some distance below JP. The river was low and they spotted something in the river, exposed due to the low water lever. It was apparently one of the cannons from the 1864 attack on Lexington. They drug it out of the river, along with quite a bit of grape shot. But after some discussion, dumped the cannon back into the river! They saved the grape shot.

Also, JP was where Stonewall Jackson's body arrived from Lynchburg, via the packet boat the "Marshall" and the old canal system, for his funeral in Lexington.

Welcome to Lexington, Virginia

(Notice the SCV Logo)

A token of remembrance for General Lee

Old & young alike gathered at Jordan's Point

Old covered bridge abutment at Jordan's Point - north side of Maury River

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